The Magi Pay Homage to the King

What a day January 5th must have been. The Jewish scholars scrambling to find Biblical evidence for the birth of a King, heralded by a star and traveling suddenly appearing at Jerusalem’s gates.

Perhaps they remembered Numbers 24:17 which in the Greek reads, “A star will rise from Jacob.” They would have been familiar with the hope expressed in Isaiah 60, “And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” And 2 Samuel 5:2 in which the people remind David of the Lord’s words, “You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.” Finally, Micah 5: 1 & 2 “And you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, little to be among Judah’s thousands-from you shall for me he will go out to be Ruler in Israel, and his goings-out are from old, from days of eternity and he will stand and shepherd in the strength of Yahweh

Much effort has been made to somehow explain the star as a natural phenomenon, and that’s interesting. In the final analysis Matthew regarded it as a special star, a God sent star, with the express purpose of leading the Magi to Jesus. Comets streak through the sky, but not for two years. They spoke of “His star rising.” On January 6, when they leave for Bethlehem the star reappears and leads them to the house where “the child was.”

Most translations have “worshipped him.” However, the Greek has, they “fell down and reverenced him…” But they do not understand completely to whom they are paying homage.

Like the Magi, God must lead us to himself and through his Holy Spirit continue to reveal to us growing wisdom and insight into our salvation in Christ.